The best laid plans of mice and men…

I just received my RMA replacements for three H700 Bluetooth headsets I purchased around the time California’s head set law went into effect (I used headsets before that point in time, but I wanted to make sure I always had a head set with me after that point even to answer a call and say that you’d need to get back to them could get you a ticket if a law enforcement agent felt like writing it).

The H700 was a great head set; but it wasn’t without problems. And notably one of the major problems was that Motorola purchase a large lot of batteries all made around the same time. In fact, the same time three years ago, and Lithium Ion only lasts about three years.

Once the last of the three headsets died, I called up Motorola, provided them the information, gave them a credit card number since they wanted to do a pre-replacement on one (they would send out one replacement guaranteed by my credit card — which in fact they never authorized a charge against) and then I would return it and the other two and receive two more.

I recieved an H710 as a replacement model; some of the features of it was nicer, but one of the major downsides was that it used a micro-USB power connector, which mean it couldn’t share my the CLA I used for my phone, any of the phone charges I already had; and I wasn’t about to spend $20 on another CLA.

The first hitch… I never got an RMA number for the pre-replacement. No information by email, no information in the package.

The next hitch… they sent the same RMA email and number to three different people (yep, three addressees on the email).

The next hitch… they still hadn’t sent me the RMA for the other two head sets (and I wasn’t about to pay multiple shipping charges).

The next hitch… I never received my two additional head sets.

The next hitch… I was advised they were sending out ONE more headset.

Finally… I was advised they were sending out the THIRD and final headset.

This took me almost two months to get the replacement; and sixteen phone calls, three supervisors, and one executive complaint.

Oh yeah, and it’s all over… including losing almost TWO MONTHS of warranty time.

Thanks Motorola — you’ve certainly convinced me that I need to look else where for cell phones and cell phone accessories. Of course during these two months I’ve developed problems with my T815 navigation system — another nightmare I’m sure to get that fixed.

It’s easy to see why Motorola isnt’ making money with their cell phone and cell phone accessories even though they have some of the most popular phones and head sets made. I mean think about their costs in manpower and shipping to resolve what should have been a simple RMA.

NOTE: One solution for charging the micro-USB head set is to buy a mini to micro-USB adapter; or better yet, a micro-micro-USB Y cable and a mini to micro-USB adapter.

Motorola SKN6252A – mini-usb to micro-usb

Motorola SKN6222A – mini-usb to mini-usb Y (one full usb one power only)

NOTE: Technically Motorola still hasn’t fulfilled my RMA(s). The original headset they sent was a full retail package; but when I opened the two boxes arrived last Friday I found that they had sent me one more retail packaged H710 and the other box contained just a H710 in a bubble envelope (no charger or instruction manual). Since the H710 uses micro-USB rather than mini-USB I’m technically short one charger; but after sixteen calls to Motorola I’m convinced that this will never be made right, and another forty minutes of my time is worth more than the charger.